Plate clamp for printing machines



May 11, 1937. F. J. FULLER PLATE CLAMP/FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 4, 1933 "INVENTOR. 2

Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT DFFHCE PLATE CLAMP FOR PRINTEN G MACHINE S Application November 4, 1933, Serial No. 696,634

19 Claims.

This invention relates to plate clamping mechanism for rotary printing machines, and has for its object the provision of certain desired improvements in plate clips, which will insure a longer 5 life, a more facile action and a more con-1' venient means of replacement than is afforded by plate clips of conventional construction.

Heretofore, it has been foundthat there is a pronounced tendency for the shoe of the plate clip and the groove in the cylinder receiving same to wear, and in consequence, lost motion or play takes place between the said shoe and the groove and interferes with the proper operation of the clip.

The present invention is particularly designed and adapted to minimize the said tendency towards wear of the shoe and groove and by providing a convenient method and means for replacing that part of the plate clamping mecha- 90 nism most susceptible to wear in use, avoid the difficulties experienced with conventional forms of plate clips heretofore used.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a plate clip of generally improved construction,

25 whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and eflicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds,

30 the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: l I

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view as seen on the line I of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrow, showing a portion of a plate cylinder .wherein an embodiment of the invention has 40 been incorporated; I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line and as seen in the direction of the arrow 2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the invention as 45 seen in the direction of the arrow 3 of Figure 2.

In carrying the invention into practice, a printing cylinder 5 l is provided with a circular recess l2, communicating with a longitudinally extending groove or channel l3, the "parallel, lower 59 walls of which are formed with opposed lateral recesses I4, it, while the upper portion of the groove [3 has a wedge shaped configuration, as best shown in- Figure 1, which is adapted to register with and slidably accommodate a corresponding wedge shaped body portion l6 ofa plate clip 16. The straight portion of the groove I3 is adapted to slidably receive the lower portion of the said plate clip I6 and to accommodate the lower lateral edges of the two shoe sections l1, I8 respectively. These shoe sections when secured 5 to the body portion of the clip l6 by the screws 19, form a shoe 2| therefor. Each of the two sections of the shoe 2| is formed with lateral projections or flanges 22, 23, which are received in the lateral recesses l4, l5, mentioned above. 10

It will be observed, as best shown in Figure 3, that the sectional shoe 2 I may be conveniently inserted into the lower straight portion of the longitudinally extending groove 13. This is accomplished by first inserting the section I! of the shoe 3 21 into the circular recess 12 and sliding same to the position shown in Figure 2, the lateral flanges 22, 23 of the said section ll sliding in the recesses l4, l5 during this movement. The other and similar section N3 of the said shoe may now be inserted through the same recess l2 and moved to a position adjacent the section I1, after which the body or upper portion of the clip I 6 is fastened to the two sections of the shoe 2! by means of the screws IS. The clip I6 is now ready for operation in the customary manner.

As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, printing plates 25, 26 shown fragmentarily, may be positioned on either side of the clip 2| and being thus engaged by the head of the clip, will be held in 30 position.

With plate clips of conventional'design, considerable wear occurs where the shoe portion engages the recess in the cylinder, but it will be seen that a plate clip made in accordance with this invention may have a shoe portion of much greater length without increasing the size of the clearance opening required for its insertion, and thereby greatly increasing the bearing area and correspondingly reducing the wear. Greater 40 length in the clearance opening is objectionable for there is likelihood of the printing plates caving in if too much of the cylinder surface is cut away. Furthermore, if the shoe portion of the clip disclosed herein is made of a softer material than the cylinder, the wear will be confined to the clip shoes and practically no wear will occur in the cylinder recess walls. When the shoes show objectionable wear they may readily be renewed at slight expense, and the fit of the clip in the cylinder will be the same as when new. I

From the foregoing description, it will be observed that a form of plate clip is herein disclosed wherewith the wear of both cylinder and clip due to use, will be less than with plate clips of conventional design, and wherein the parts subject to wear may be conveniently and cheaply replaced.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a printing cylinder having a groove with lateral recesses in opposite sides thereof, of a plate clip having a body portion supported by the sides of the groove and arranged to slide in the groove, a head adapted to engage a plate, and a plurality of clip shoes, each secured to the body portion and fitted to extend across the groove and to slide in the recesses.

2. In combination with a printing cylinder having a groove with lateral recesses in opposite sides thereof and a clearance opening at the end of said groove, a plate clip having a body portion arranged to slide in the groove, a head adapted to engage a plate, and a plurality of clip shoes secured to the body portion and fitted to slide in the recesses; said shoes being insertable through the said clearance opening.

3. In a plate lock-up mechanism for a printing cylinder having a channel With an upper portion capable of receiving a plate clip, and a lower portion adapted to slidably confine a shoe, a plate clip fitted to be supported by the sides of and to slide in the said upper portion and having a plurality of shoes detachably secured to said slip, each of said shoes extending across said lower channel portion.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a printing cylinder, of a plate engaging clip, said cylinder having a channel formed with a comparatively narrow lower portion and an upper widened portion, the cylinder having recesses arranged on, either side of the said lower portion, a clearance opening formed in said cylinder and communicating with said channel, a plurality of shoes arranged in aligned relation and slidably mounted in the channel, a clip body freely arranged in an upper portion of the channel, and means detachably securing said shoes to the clip body, whereby the said shoes may be withdrawn through the clearance opening when detached from the clip body.

5. In a plate lock-up mechanism of the character described, the combination with a printing cylinder having a groove formed with lateral recesses in opposite sides thereof and a clearance opening communicating with the groove, of a plate clip freely movable in said groove and having a body portion with a head adapted to engage a plate on the printing cylinder, a plurality of shoes secured to the bottom of the body portion and arranged in aligned relation to extend in opposite directions from a line substantially central of the body portion, and means for detachably securing the shoes to the body portion, whereby said clip may be directly lifted from said groove after said means are disengaged from the shoes, while said shoes may be slid to the clearance opening and removed from the cylinder.

6. In combination with a printing cylinder having a channel with an upper portion adapted to slidably receive a plate clip, and a lower portion adapted to slidably receive a shoe, said shoe being removably secured to the clip and said channel having an enlarged portion adapted to permit the insertion of said shoe into the channel.

7. A plate clamping mechanism comprising a plate clip slidably mounted in one part of a channel formed in a printing cylinder and a plurality of shoes, each detachably secured to the undersurface of said clip and slidably retained in another part of the channel.

8. In combination with a printing cylinder having a groove, a plate clamping mechanism comprising a plate clip having a bottom surface disposed in the groove in said cylinder, and a plurality of clip retaining shoes, each detachably secured to said plate clip upon the bottom surface thereof, said shoes being disposed in the aforesaid groove in a plane parallel to the plane of said bottom surface.

9. In combination with a printing cylinder having a groove, a plate clamping mechanism comprising a plate clip having a bottom surface disposed in the groove in said cylinder and extending beyond a side of said plate clip, a plurality of clip retaining shoes disposed in the aforesaid groove in a plane parallel to the plane of said surface, and a plurality of screws each accessible from the periphery of the cylinder for operation to detachably secure said shoes to said plate clip.

10. In combination with a printing cylinder having a plate upon its periphery, a plate clip to engage an edge of said plate, a shoe below said plate clip, and a plurality of readily removable means each accessible for operation at the periphery of the cylinder to detachably secure said plate clip to said shoe, said means being covered by said plate.

11. In combination with a printing cylinder adapted to receive a plate, a plate clip to engage a plate to retain it in position on said cylinder, 2. clip retaining shoe disposed below said plate, and means to detachably secure said plate clip to said shoe, said means being disposed to be covered by the plate engaged by said clip and being readily accessible for removal when uncovered by removal of the plate.

12. Mechanism for clamping a plate to a printing cylinder comprising a plate clip having extended portions forming an elongated bottom surface therefor, and a plurality of shoes disposed end to end and detachably secured to said plate clip.

13. Mechanism for clamping a, plate to a printing cylinder comprising a plate clip having .extended portions forming an elongated bottom surface therefor, a plurality of shoes disposed end to end, and means adapted to be covered by the plate clamped to the printing cylinder and operably secure said shoes to said plate clip.

14. In mechanism for clamping a plate to a printing cylinder having a groove therein, a plate clip having extended portions forming an elongated guide, said guide adapted to be disposed in the groove in the cylinder, a plurality of shoes and cooperating with said cylinder to be retained therein against "radial removal therefrom, and a plurality of screws each accessible from the periphery of the cylinder for actuation to releasably connect said plate clip to said shoe.

16. In combination, a printing cylinder having a groove therein formed with an upper and lower guiding surface, a plate clip slidably seated upon the upper guiding surface, a shoe disposed in sliding engagement with the lower guiding surface, means to retain said shoe in the groove against removal therefrom radially with respect to said cylinder, and a plurality of threaded means each accessible from the periphery of the cylinder for actuation to detachably connect said plate clip to said shoe, said means being disposed to be covered bythe plate held by said plate clip.

17. In combination, a plate support having a groove in its surface, a plate engaging clip slidably mounted on said support and having a portion extending intothe groove therein, and a plurality of shoes disposed end to end in the aforesaid groove and each being detachably secured to said plate clip.

18. In combination, a. plate support having a groove in its surface, a plate engaging clip slidably mounted on said support and having a portion extending into the groove therein, a ,clip retaining shoe mounted in the aforesaid groove for sliding movement along the same and iretained against movement therefrom transversely in respect to said groove, and a plurality of rotatable means each accessible for rotation atvthe outer surface of the support to detachably secure said shoe to the portion of said clip disposedin the aforesaid groove to permit removal of said clip from said support without removal of said shoe.

19. In the combination set forth in claimd'l, said plate support having an opening in its surface in communication with the groove therein to permit the removal of said shoes from the aforesaid groove, one at a time. FRED. J. FULLER. 

